It's not too late to plant!

Fall colors at Oak Ridge Shrubbery

Fall foliage viewed from our stoneyard

 Fall is for planting!  Woody shrubs and trees are the ideal candidates for fall plantings.  September and October are ideal months to plant, but you can still plant in November too.  Fall is an ideal time because we still have warm ground temperatures, but the air temps have dropped, which means less watering as well as less sweating.

Planting with soil amendments is the key to success in our clay soils.  Cow manure and soil conditioners are the answer to good plant nutrition and drainage.  Hole sizes need to be generous, at least twice as wide as the existing root ball (or pot) and one and a half times as deep.  You want to plant trees and shrubs 1/2"-3/4" high, meaning the grade of the plant (top of the root ball) needs to be slightly higher than your existing soil grade).

Watering new plants through their first year is important.  Much less water is needed during the cooler months, but do remember that new plants still have watering needs (albeit not as much).  All plants will continue to need water during the winter months if we have a dry season with no snow or little rain.  Keep in mind that cold temperatures and winds can still desiccate the soil.

Fertilization can be done on a limited basis in September.  I recommend this only for trees and shrubs whose color is off.  Yellowing or uncharacteristic pale green foliage is an indication of lack of fertility.  You want to follow the direction for the size of the plant, but go with half of the recommended rate during the cold months.  When fertilizing more, most assuredly is not better.  Use Hollytone or Treetone.  Do not use grass fertilizer like 10-10-10!  Tree and shrub fertilizers provide yoru plants with the correct amount of micronutrients without giving them the jolt that is caused by grass fertilizer.

For more detailed information on planting trees and shrubs, check out our blog article How to install a plant in Guilford County.

Keeping your gardens looking great throughout the fall is possible, despite the crazy heat from this summer.  Encore Azaleas, knock out roses, and Loropetalum bring a re-emergence of color in the fall.  Gardenias, black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, dianthus, and many other flowers may also bloom again in the fall with careful pruning.  Cutting off old blooms will promote a colorful fall surge.

Additional plants to consider:
Flowering:

Toad Lily

• Anemones
• Toad Lilies
• Asters
• Chrystanthemums

Berrying:

Callicarpa (Beautyberry)

• Callicarpa (Beautyberry)
• Ilex verticellata (Winterberry)

 Color changing foliage:

Oakleaf Hydrangea

• Wildfire black gum
• Korean Stweartia
• Japanese Maple
• Chinese Pistachio trees
• Oakleaf Hydrangea

We are now operating under winter hours.   Drop by the garden center and check out our latest featured plants!

Vegging out without a TV!

Many people, these days, are looking for ways to live healthier, save money, and reduce their environmental footprint.  Growing vegetables is a great way to do that.  When you grow your own vegetables, you have 100% control over what does and doesn't go into them, resulting in a low cost alternative to buying organic produce at the grocery store.  Vegetables, fruits, and herbs also pack the most flavorful punch when they are freshly picked.  Most people agree that there are few finer things in life than a tomato sandwich, made with a tomato, plucked fresh off the vine, still warm from the sun.

Another advantage of home grown herbs and vegetables is the reduction of our environmental footprint.  Not only will it cost you less to grow your own produce, but it will take less of a toll on the environment.  Even chemical-free, organic produce still has to be harvested with machinery, loaded onto trucks and shipped to the grocery store and then YOU have to drive to the grocery store to purchase them.  That's a lot of pollution generated.  

And then there are some benefits to growing your own vegetables and herbs that can't be measured, charted or graphed.  There is a certain sense of accomplishment that comes from enjoying a meal made from your own vegetables or flavoring a dish with fresh herbs that you grew yourself.  Children, especially, can learn early life lessons in responsibility and self worth, and enjoy spending time with their parents, when they are allowed to have their own personal garden.  Of course there are those times when many home gardeners find themselves with more than they know what to do with.  Sharing those extra tomatoes or ears of corn with friends and family is a wonderful, age old tradition.

Growing your own vegetables, fruits, and herbs can be such a fun and rewarding experience, but to the novice, it can seem intimidating.  Oak Ridge Shrubbery has a wonderful vegetable and herb garden kit that takes all the guesswork (and back work) out of building your own vegetable planter.  We will come to your home, install a planter made from Allen Block and fill it with the kitchen plants of your choice.  Your planter will be approximately 3'x3'x8' (sizes may vary from person to person, depending on their needs).  The advantage of having a a raised bed is that it is easier on the back and you don't have to worry about rabbits, skunks, and possums enjoying a free meal.  Total cost of the Kitchen Garden Kit is between $750 and $900, which includes all of the building materials, our custom blend top soil, soil conditioner, and ten plants of your choice:

• Tomatoes
• Zucchini 
• Carrots
• Blueberries
• Basil
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Mixed Mesclin Greens
• Sage
• Mint
• Fennel
•  Lovage
• Chervil
• Coriander
• Cilantro
• Marigold (to keep the bugs away naturally!)

For any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@oakridgeshrubberync.com or call us at (336) 255-2310